In a continuing effort to improve the quality of shipping fruits, I, the inventor, typically hybridize a large number of peach, nectarine, plum, apricot, and cherry seedlings each year. I also grow a smaller number of open pollinated seeds of each of these fruits, usually to capture recessive traits. The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of peach tree, which has been denominated varietally as ‘Pearl Princess IV’.
The present variety was hybridized by me in 2000 as a first generation cross using ‘Snow Princess’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,570) peach as the selected seed parent and an unnamed yellow flesh nectarine (unpatented) as the selected pollen parent. The fruit of this cross was gathered that summer, and the seeds were removed, cracked, stratified, germinated, and grown as seedlings on their own root in my greenhouse. Upon reaching dormancy the seedlings were transplanted as a group to a cultivated area of my experimental orchard located near Le Grand, Calif., in Merced County (San Joaquin Valley). During the fruit evaluation season of 2006 I selected the present variety as a single tree from the group of seedlings described above. Subsequent to origination of the present variety of peach tree, I asexually reproduced it by budding and grafting in the experimental orchard described above, and such reproductions were true to the original tree in all respects. The reproduction of the variety included the use of ‘Nemaguard’ (unpatented) rootstock upon which the present variety was compatible and true to type.
The present variety is similar to its seed parent ‘Snow Princess’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,570) peach, by having a vigorous tree, by having large blossoms that bloom in the early to mid season, by having reniform leaf glands, by being self-fertile, and by producing white flesh freestone peaches that are large in size, mostly red in skin color, globose in shape, very good in flavor, and firm in texture, but is distinguished therefrom by producing fruit that matures about thirty days earlier and that has a flavor that is a balance between light acid and sugar, rather than sub-acidic.
The present variety is very distinguished from its pollen parent by producing fruit that is peach instead of nectarine, that is white flesh instead of yellow flesh, and that is freestone instead of clingstone.
The present variety is most similar to ‘Pearl Princess V’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 19,919) peach, by having a vigorous tree with large blossoms and reniform leaf glands, being self-fertile, and producing white flesh freestone peaches that are mostly red in skin color, globose to oblate in shape, firm in texture, and very good in flavor, but is distinguished therefrom by producing fruit that matures about seven days later and is somewhat larger in size.